George Peppard Biography (1928-1994)

Born October 1, 1928, in Detroit, MI; died of pneumonia, May 8, 1994, in LosAngeles, CA. Actor. Though in college he set out to be an engineer, studyingthe subject at Purdue University and the Carnegie Mellon Institute, Peppard moved to New York City after graduation to learn "the Method" at Lee Strasberg's Actors Studio. After a few years on the stage he made his film debut in 1957's The Strange One; though this led to supporting roles in Pork Chop Hill (1959) and Home from the Hill (1960) as well as a leading role in The Subterraneans (1960), he did not achieve stardom until he played a pampered young writer opposite Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Peppard continued to enjoy moderate success in more than twenty-five films, but was later best known for his roles in the NBC television series Banacek, Doctor's Hospital, andThe A-Team, in which he played tough Vietnam veteran John "Hannibal" Smith. Afew years earlier, Peppard had been chosen to play the patriarch Blake Carrington in Dynasty, but was replace by John Forsythe just sixteen days into filming the pilot.